Railway signal apparatus.



No. 880,072. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

' RGRAZIANO. v

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1907.

I 2 snnsrs-snnsr 1.

R i Q 3 Q Emma No. 880,072. PATENTED FEB. 25; 1908.

' r F. GRAZIANO. RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILED JUNE 15, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' 1 514112," fez L 1/91 in eases OW W v FRANK GRAZIANO, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed. June 15. 1907- Serial No. 379.229

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK GRAZIANO, citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Imrovements in Railway Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to railway signal systems; and it contemplates the provision of an inexpensive and reliable apparatus through the medium of which each of a plurality of cars is enabled, as it passes a certain point, to complete an individual electric circuit.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when the same are read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of the track portion of my novel apparatus; the same being shown with a part of the protective grating and a part of the casing cover removed. Fig. 2 is a broken view, partly in section and partly in side elevation of said track portion of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a view, partly in end elevation and partly in cross-section, of the track portion of the apparatus, and also showing a car device in the position it occupies precedent to cooperating with said track portion to complete the individual electric circuit of the car bearing the device. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrative of one of the normally incomplete, individual electric circuits of the apparatus. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views of modifications hereinafter referred to in detail.

Referring by letter to the said drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 4 thereof: A is a casing designed to be arranged transversely in the bed of a railway and between the rails thereof at any desired point. The said casing comprises a body a having a bottom, side and endwalls, and a coverbfastened on the body a by screws 0 or other suitable means.

B is a grating arranged over and connected to the casing A having for its purpose to prevent heavy wagons and the like from injuring the triggers, presently described, of the track portion of the apparatus. The said grating comprises bars d extending at a right angle to the casing A and in the direction of the length of the track, and is provided between the bars with spaces 6 corresponding in number with the cars with which the track 7 portion of the apparatus is adapted to cooperate.

C C are upright rock shafts journaled in the casing cover '1) and stepped at their lower ends in bosses f, and corresponding in number to the spaces e of grating B.

D D are horizontally swinging triggers fixed on the shafts C, above the casing cover I) and below the grating B, so as to be protected by the latter.

E E are horizontally swinging arms fixed on the rock-shafts C and arranged in the casing A, and having rearwardly extending projections g, and F F are tractile springs of which there are two employed in combination with each arm E; the said spring being interposed between and connected to the rearward projection g of the arm and the lugs b on cover I), as best shown in Fig. 3. Because of the provision of the tractile springs F arranged and connected as described, it will be apparent that said springs are adapted to return the triggers D andarms E to and normally hold the same in the position illustrated.

G is a body of insulating material, preferably vulcanite, fixed in the bottom of the casing A .and extending from a point adj a cent to one end of the casing to a point adj acent to the opposite end thereof.

H is a conductive strip, preferably of copper, arranged at the opposite side of the insulating body, with reference to the shafts C, and extending in the direction of the length of the body.

I I are terminals, preferably of co per, corresponding in number to the shafts (i and electrically connected with the strip H and extending above the insulating body G, as best shown in Fig. 3. J J are terminals, also preferably of copper, connected to the body G so as to be insulated from each other and corresponding in number and opposed to the terminals 1.

K is a conductor intermediate the conductive stri H and one of the rails L between which t e casing A is arranged. M, Fig. 4, is a conductor connecting the said rail and the negative pole of a source of electric energy N.

P P are electro-magnets which represent devices to be actuated; said electro-magnets being electrically connected with the positive pole of the source of energy N, and R R are conductors, each of which leads from one of the electro-magnets P to one of the terminals J. From this it follows that when one of the triggers D is swung in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 1, and the arm E on the same shaft as said trigger is swung in the.

same direction to move its complementary terminal J against the opposed terminal I, the electric current will pass from the positive pole of the source of energy N through the particular electro-magnet connected by conductor R with the terminal J mentioned, then through the said terminal J and the opposed terminal I, and then by way of the strip H, conductorK, rail L, and conductor M :back to'the negative pole'of the source of energy N. As stated the electro-magnetsP simply'represent devices to be actuated,-.and hence'it will be understood that in lieu of said magnets incandescent signal lights or other devices may be employed, or the elecvtrio-magnets may be employed to'move needles'comprised in a recording clock such as disclosed in my contemporary application '1' filed August 30,1906, Serial Number 332,664.

The conductors R-are preferably carried in the 'form of a cable through an opening in one end of the casing A, and the said opening ispreferably rendered water-tight in any manner compatible with the purpose of my invention.

Each of the cars of the railway will be equipped with a device S such as shown in Fig. 3, and the said devices S will bedifferently' ositioned on-all of the carsthat is to say, t e device of the first car will be arranged to engage the trigger D at the left of the track portion of the apparatus, the device S of the neXt car will be arranged.to engage "j the next trigger D toward the right of the track portion of the apparatus and so on throughout the series of cars and triggers D. The car device is preferably made up of a hanger m suitably connected to a truck or other part of a car, a beam n pivoted to and depending from lugs on the rear side of the hanger m and having lugs p on its rear side and a pin 1 extending between said lugs, a tappet 3 having a lower arm to engage a trigger D, and also having an upper, rearwardlyinclined arm, a portion bearing against the rear side of the beam at and a curved slot receiving the pin r of said beam, a spring t connecting the upper arm of the tappet and the upper portion of beam n, and a spring u connecting the beam n and a portion of the truck or other suitable part of the car. When the car is traveling in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 3, and the track portion of the apparatus is reached, the lower arm of the tappet s will pass through the proper space 0 and by engaging and swinging the proper trigger D will, in the manner 'before descrlbed, complete the individual electric circuit complementary to the car. The spring a is sufliciently strong to hold the beam 71 and the tappet s in the positions shown, relative to the hanger, while the tappet s is swinging a trigger D as stated, but in the eventof the-tappet encountering an immovable obstruction, the said spring a will permit the beam n to swing rearward and the slot in the tappet will permit the tap et to ride up thebeam so that the tappet wi l'pass over the obstruction without damage to any of the parts of the car device. The spring t serves to return theztappet s to and yieldingly'hold the samein the position :shown, relative tothe beam a, and it also serves, when the cardeviceencounters an obstruction whilezmoving in the direction opposite to that indicated by arrow, to permit the lower arm 'ofthe car device to swing rearward. and in that manner clear the obstruction.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the tappet s is provided with a spring brush 2: adapted to pass through awspacewe inuagratingiBQ and the grating B is provided on one side of each'of its bars d with two terminals I and J insulated from each other and the bar; the terminals 1 being designed to be connected through a conductor 'N with one rail L, and each of the terminals 'Jbeing connect'ed'with a conductor R forming'part of .an individual circuit. Thus it will be seen that when a car bearing the tappet 5- passes the rating the individual circuit of'such car will be completed.

Byreference-to'Figs. 1 to .4, it will be apparent that with the exception of the triggers D, all of theworking parts of the track portion of the .apparatus are 'inclosed in thecasing A Where they are effectually protected against the weather and cannot be'reached and tampered with by unauthorized persons; and it will also be apparent that thegrating B extends but a slight distance above the surface of the track, and hence efficiently protects the parts below it without offering a material obstruction in the-track. By reference to Figs. 5 to 7 it willbe'seen that the foregoing is true of the grating B, and it will also be noted that the modified construction is-advantageous because of its simplicity and cheapness, and the facility with which it may be installed.

The constructions herein shown and described constitute the preferred embodiments of'my invention, but is is obvious that in practice such changes or modifications may be made asfairly fall within the scope of my invention as defined in the claims appended.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Pat ent, is:

1. In a railway signal, a track apparatus comprising a grating having spaced bars, and terminals arranged below the upper surface of the grating and arranged to form parts of normally open electric circuits and also arranged to enable tappets, on cars, passing between the bars of the grating to complete the said circuits.

2. The combination in a railway signal, of a casing adapted to be arranged crosswise in the bed of a railway and having a cover, movable terminals arranged in said casing and adapted to form part of individual electric circuits, and vertical shafts extending through the coverof the casing and having triggers disposed above said cover and also havingarms arranged in the casing in position to engage and move the terminals.

3. The combination in a railway signal, of a casing adapted to be arranged crosswise in the bed of a railway and having a cover, movable terminals arranged in said casing and adapted to form part of individual electric circuits, vertical shafts extending through the cover of the casing and having triggers disposed above said cover and also having arms arranged in the casing in position to engage and move the terminals, and a protective grating arranged above and fixed witn respect to the casing and having spaced bars and also having the spaces between the bars arranged over the triggers.

4-. The combination in a railway signal, of a casing adapted to be arranged crosswise in the bed of a railway and having a cover, a grating arranged above and fixed with re spect to the casing and having spaced bars, movable terminals arranged in the easing and adapted to form part of individual electric circuits, vertical shafts extending through the cover of the casing and having triggers disposed above said cover and below the spaces between the bars of the grating, and also having arms' arranged in the casing in position to engage and move the terminals; the said arms being provided with rearwardly extending projections, and tractile springs extending between and connected to said projections and opposite portions of the casing.

5. The combination in a railway signal, of a casing adapted to be arranged crosswise in the bed of a railway and having a cover, a body of insulating material fixed in and extending lengthwise of the casing, a conductive strip connected to one side of said insulating body and having terminals extending above said insulating body, a plurality of movable terminals adapted to form part of individual electric circuits; the latter terminals being connected to the opposite side of the insulating body and opposed -to the first mentioned terminals, and means whereby tappets on passing cars are enabled to move the second mentioned terminals into contact with the first mentioned terminals.

6. The combination in a railway signal, of a casing adapted to be arranged crosswise in the bed of a railway and having a cover, a body of insulating material fixed in and ex tending lengthwise of the casing, a conductive strip connected to one side of said insulating body and having terminals extending above said insulating body, a plurality of movable terminals adapted to form part of individual electric circuits; the latter terminals being connected to the opposite side of the insulating body and opposed to the first mentioned terminals, and vertical shafts extending through the cover of the casing and having triggers disposed above said cover and also having arms arranged in the casing in position to engage the second mentioned terminals and move the same into contact with the first mentioned terminals.

7. The combination in a railway signal, of a casing adapted to be arranged crosswise in the bed of a railway and having a cover, a body of insulating material fixed in and extending lengthwise of the casing, a conductive strip connected to one side of said insulating body and having terminals extending above said insulating body, a plurality of movable terminals adapted to form part of individual electric circuits; the latter terminals being connected to the opposite side of the insulating body and opposed to the first mentioned terminals, vertical shafts extend ing through the cover of the casing and having triggers disposed above said cover and also having arms arranged in the casing in position to engage the second mentioned terminals and move the same into contact with the first mentioned terminals, springs connected with said arms for returning the shafts, triggers and arms to their normal.

positions, and a protective grating arranged over and fixed with respect to the casing and having spaced bars and also having the spaces between the bars arranged above the triggers of the shafts.

8. In a railway signal, the combination of a casing adapted to be arranged crosswise in the bed of a railway and having a cover,-

triggers arranged outside the casing and adapted to be operated by tappets on passing cars, and means arranged within the easing and connected with and arranged to be operated by the triggers for completing individual electric circuits.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK GRAZIANO.

Witnesses:

E. T. EVANS, LOUIS P. BRYANT. 

